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Patricia McCullough of Spring Hill shares a recipe she enjoys from a cookbook of easy Mexican recipes. Tres leches means three milks, and the three in this recipe are sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipping cream. Spiked with a bit of rum, this is a very moist cake. For this recipe I used Betty Crocker yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix and Rhum Barbancourt white rum. I do not think it's necessary to use anything other than a white rum. It's more neutral tasting than a dark or spiced. You can substitute rum extract, if desired. When mixing the ingredients for the sauce, I used a whisk to thoroughly combine the thick sweetened condensed milk. It took no time for the hot cake to absorb the mixture. I was unable to find coconut chips so I substituted sweetened coconut. An Internet search produced a variety of sources for them at a reasonable price, before shipping. When making the topping I added about a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten the topping. This is totally optional and I have not reflected the sugar in the recipe. There are many layers of flavors in this dessert and they all meld very well together. The toasted coconut and crunch from the macadamia nuts are just another delicious layer.

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Oldsmar resident Eleanor Pielak would like a recipe for Nordstrom's Bistro Cafe white chocolate bread pudding at International Plaza. She says it's the most divine bread pudding she has ever had.

Send requests to You Asked For It, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731 or e-mail youaskedforit@tampabay.rr.com. Include your name, city and phone number.

>>EASY

Tres Leches Cake

1 box yellow cake mix with pudding

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Sauce:

1 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract plus 1/3 cup water

1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (12-ounce) evaporated milk

Topping:

1 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup coconut chips, toasted

1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed about 30 seconds or until blended. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix sauce ingredients. Using a long, tined fork, pierce hot cake in baking dish every 1 to 2 inches. Slowly pour sauce mixture over cake. Refrigerate cake at least 3 hours to chill. Cake will absorb most of the sauce mixture.